LibGuides: Social Media Marketing: Influencers

What is an Influencer

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is the art and science of engaging people who are influential online to share brand messaging with their audiences in the form of sponsored content.

Advertisers have always used celebrity endorsements as a way to increase awareness and improve perception of a brand, because people tend to trust celebrities they admire, and sometimes aspire to be like them. Influencer marketing is similar in concept, but it has ushered in a new way to define celebrity. In addition to TV and movie stars, pro athletes, and musicians, celebrities of the social media world exist now, too. People can build big, engaged audiences on social media, such as blogs or Instagram. And those social media influencers wield influence over their audiences, akin to celebrity influence. Brands then work with these social media influencers to create a new kind of celebrity endorsement.

For example, maybe a new energy drink has just come out, and they want to market themselves as a “perfect boost for busy women.” They decide that — in addition to email blasts, online display ads, and in-person events — they’re going to reach out to influential female bloggers who write about their busy lives (and include information about the new energy drink).

Quoted from:
Sammis, K., Lincoln, C., Pomponi, S., Ng, J., Gassmann Rodriguez, E., & Zhou, J. (2016). Influencer marketing for dummies (1st edition). Wiley.
https://caccl-smccd.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CACCL_SMCCD/s0te9o/alma991000798783705308

Understanding Influencer Marketing And Why It Is So Effective

Influencer marketing is a relationship between a brand and an influencer. The influencer promotes the brand's products or services through various media outlets such as Instagram and YouTube. Not to be confused with celebrity endorsements, influencer marketing does more than just attach a well-known celebrity to a brand. Influencers must be trusted figures within a niche community and retain a loyal following. In addition, they typically possess knowledge or experience about what they are advertising.

Quoted from:
Mathew, J. (2018, July 30). Understanding influencer marketing and why it is so effective. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2018/07/30/understanding-influencer-marketing-and-why-it-is-so-effective/?sh=6734953571a9

CQ Researcher

Social Influencers - Can they continue to shape American culture?
Social influencers are extending their reach in American society, filling roles ranging from entrepreneur to muse to thought leader. They are posting on Instagram and other social media to promote products — and to spur conversations on everything from the Black Lives Matter movement to fashion. The influencer industry is seeing explosive growth and is expected to be worth nearly $15 billion by 2022, while top influencers with followings of 1 million or more can receive $250,000 per post. But critics say the industry faces numerous challenges, including its reliance on algorithms, which can perpetuate bias; skepticism about corporations' commitment to racial and cultural diversity in a moment of racial reckoning; and ethical issues resulting from some influencers inflating the number of their followers. One study found that influencers' use of fake followers cost brands $1.3 billion in 2019. Some influencers, in turn, complain that companies are exploiting them and censoring their postings while micromanaging their activities. Many are unionizing.
Expertise Under Assault - Is skepticism toward scientists and other experts growing?
Distrust of government and scientific experts has taken disturbing forms recently — from the violent attack on the Capitol by a mob that refused to believe election results, to conspiracy theories about the supposed dangers of vaccines. A society that does not believe the same set of facts cannot hold together, some experts warn. If more people are not persuaded to trust the coronavirus vaccine, the nation might not be able to achieve the “herd immunity” needed to stop the pandemic. Some blame social media and echo chambers of like-minded users. Others point to populism and its disdain for elites. Yet mistrust of the establishment has also been positive — leading to movements for social change in fields ranging from medicine to environmental protection. Americans have long been pulled between suspicion of experts, when it comes to regulatory controversies that threaten their values, and confidence in the technology upon which they depend. In recent decades, trust in scientists has fallen among conservatives, while liberals still rate scientists highly.